1) On Food
2) On Shopping
3) On how a beautiful saturday should be spent
It can be so easy; when expectation is lowered

Devoted the whole morning with the last few chapters of "Mistress of the game" while the man was out busy making appointments for Lance.
Arent terribly impressed with the ending (well there isnt any, strictly saying) and what can u say when an amateur like me detected errors such as "Singaporian" and "thick, blond mop of old", when it should be "gold"?
Anywho, none that i can think of can really replace the great Sidney Sheldon. I say i will give it a 2.5 out of 5, really.

We had a simple dinner at Lerk Thai Marina Square this evening.
Im trying to keep to my resolution of blogging less on food since even the face seems rounder and fuller these days.
But i simply have to blog about this particular staff from L.T.
We have always enjoying dining at this particular Thai chain. Staffs are always attentive and polite, maybe its just how they treat one another back in their own country. The one who was leading us to our place was all lovely and pleasant. But i cant say the same to the one who took our order.
Upon hearing we are sharing our orders, he had asked rather loudly do we need extra plates for them.
Be it sensitive or whatever, i dun see the need for him to repeat the sentence "Do u need extra plates since you are sharing your food" at two occasions. (roll my eyes) I mean we already had an empty plate each.
Anyway maybe im too passive... Or i should have say yes to the request...

A older Caucasian couple came in asking for a window seat when its packed with diners. However none is available. Can u imagine the same staff walking to yet another couple and requested them to give out their window seats?!
The HB was saying that if a similar situation happens to us, he will have walk out of the place immediately. I guess the young couple is simply too kind hearted. If not of their lemon glass drink which resembles mum's, i will not bear with this either!


we didnt opt for a window seat, prefering having a cosy cushion corner; all time must order: Seafood papaya salad


we were sharing these, and its when the staff started to be rude


delicious bee hoon and 6 pcs tago
 

i look tired with no makeup on

Actually we were out xmas tree shopping. IKEA has some lovely live ones which will be really difficult to get rid of after the festive season. Had wanted to check out the ones in Carrefour, but they arent catching the man's attention. We ended up going home with no Xmas tree; but a new head gear for my coming D&D.


i hope this will look good for the event; posing with my newest love! Isnt she yummy?

Speaking of which, outfit for today was this long jersey dress i bought awhile but didnt have the chance to wear as yet. Because of this spidery coweb straps in front which totally spolit the look, i have them sewn together while the man was getting ready.

the before and after

am counting down to xmas!

Just let me be, coz the sept hols is coming to an end.
And im so not ready to go back to work yet... (stamping my foot)
Anywho, pictures below were taken from the last few days.
Oh, just let me be me!

some recent medical research highlighted the side effects of wearing contact lenes
so here i am don in my greenie lacoste, truthful bumble-bee specs and birkens bought in Germany, getting ready to tear down the shops in CWP. (omhh, i like the way my naked face sparkles under the light)


i could smell the durian aroma even before i reached the store; puffs and chess mooncakes for the families


the pretentious driving though the F1 rally street last nite when we were on our way home


i simply have to buy this!  Isnt she chic? Worn them for the first time when i was out having my haircut today


im so into gold these days; meet the shoes im going to wear for the next 10 weeks in school, and do excuse my #1, she is just trying to seek attention from the owner.
I was at UNISIM yesterday as the set books for the coming module are finally available. As much as im trying to save $$$ by not getting kinsella's new hardcover, i spent $40 on these. (booboo)


bought this gorgeous full length frock from metro, very much greek inspired which i really like. But gosh, i cant think of a single occasion i can wear it though, coz its alittle too dressy.
Meet #1 again, i bought her out shopping today, and hey, she just made a new friend!

And i shall continue from yesterday post.
The next 100 favourite books to date.

Souce taken from BBC as well:

101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker √
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo √
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl √
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl √
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker √
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King √
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl √
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville √
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl √
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White √
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley √
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl √
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery √
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens √
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Grossmith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri √
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. LawrenceLife of Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle √
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews  √

Jacqueline Wilson seems like a very popular pick here, maybe i should go check her out...
Enjoy the last of the weekend peeps!
 
** it seems like she writes for teen gals, oops!

Though the last get together with the family was just a couple of weeks ago, I have been waiting for today's lunch for the longest time! 
Besides eulogizing the National Family Day and Philip's 27th Birthday, i thought we should just rope in everybody also for my coming birthday, and oh oh oh, father's day is just around the corner as well. Such coincidence!

Made a phone reservation to the restaurant 2 weeks ago for pax of 6. Can u imagine how mad i was when the staff just couldnt locate my name anywhere? When i was ready to pull my 'signature' long face, they quickly remedize by showing us in. The place was surprisly deserted when we reached at noon. But when i asked for a window table, the lady who was leading us told me those tables are for 10. Barely 15 minutes later, a lady with a damier saleya took the table i was eying. And she was waiting for just her partner to join her.
So!

But overall, service was pleasant enough. Beverage was topped up pretty promptly and plates were changed so often i hardly saw a dirty one. We didnt even need to wait long for the food to be served. I like their chocolate cheese cakes and dim sum best! I would have given a 10 out of 10 if only the lady has given me the table.


were too busy eating away to take pictures as usual, but the one time serving shark fin is pretty alright, even for someone like me who is never a fan


its u who make me who i am today, i heart all of u!


since the bookfair is just above where we were lunching, i dropped by and looted another hardcover at $9

**And boo, my menes came awhile ago.

I bought Kinsella's first edition in 2003 when its catchy coverpage grabbed my attention among the mountains of books.
Since then, the rest is history.
So when janisme blogged about the movie, i was like, i must watch it!
And no no NO, i dun wan to wait for the video, i wana watch it now.
But i have no luck with the man. Coz he has already been most kind to watch 2 similar genre videos at one go last weekend. (read past entry)

"Filmgarde is still selling tixs at $6. You wana watch your confessions of the drug addict?" the man asked last nite, when we were on our way home from work. Ya, believe me, its his way of talking sometimes.
As much as my head is giving me the toughest time for the entire week, i simply cant say no.
Dinner was at the usual Wang Cafe and we managed to grab seats for the 9.30pm show.
It was funny, alrite, and i can so so relate to some of the scenes - when i buy aimlessly during sales and the thrills felt when the hands curl around the coils of the shopping bags...
Hey, not that its something i should be proud of! (But i honestly wont mind having the Gucci boston bag Becky carries during the beginning of the movie though, oops!)
The only disappointment, i wish they cast a better looking person to play Luke instead of Hugh Dancy. (roll my eyes)
And with some of the plots changed, im sure the green scarf is faber looking than the one in the movie.


my collection of Kinsella's books which are all so dirty from my constant reading; on a side note, my Kuromi's stylus arrived last nite by mail as well!

With mum happily shopping in hat yai ( yes, thats how near she is in Thailand), i have nowhere to go this morning. I usually dropped by mum's for breakie after leaving Lance in school on Mondays and Fridays since classes do not start so early on these two days. I was playing with the idea of collecting my PM member figurine and maybe just hanged around CWP for awhile before going back to school. But it was too early when i reached. Nowhere was opened for business yet. So, its the national library to kill sometime while waiting for precious thots to open at 11am.
As much as i always complaint about my lack of time, i decided to pay my fine so that i could borrow some books for those 'lonely' nites when the HB played his PSP and ignored me.


Besides, its been sometimes since i visited the library and Fern Michaels used to be one of my fav writer. So, why not?

Its still early when i left the library. As much as Metro was already opened for business and there were absolutely nobody in the fitting rooms, i decided to curb the spending mood and just window shopped for awhile. Was pretty impressed with my self-control power till i stepped into Precious Thots.


this year member figurine is an absolute doll! And i bought the cute little policeman for HB ( You Serve And Protect #820009)


Had jessie reserved one of this for me -  as a remembrance of our honeymoon when we were at the fountain of trevi in italy
(Love is the fountain of life #830017, its limited to only 5000 pcs worldwide, and they managed to dig out #1980; the year im born!)

Speaking of the PM figurines, Pop was saying the other day that the collection is hiking up.
I know, i know, and im restricting myself to only a few figurines every year now.
To sidetrack alittle, i was surfing the website that day and came across these few; which are beyond fab. But im not buying them lah, (coz they are not released yet in SIN) so dun worry Pop!


our love is the bridge to happiness; hands build a house, loves builds a home


love is always in bloom; you capture my heart


the magic of friendship shines through; the perfect catch

Anyway, the HB msged me in the afternoon that MIL was not cooking. He had suggested dropping by fortune centre to check out the DS Lite.
Yes, thats right! After much 'nagging', the man has gave in and is getting me the DS Lite! As much as he still thinks i have no time for this new toy, he had thought he should reward me for being the dainty wife.
So there, my new toy. I had picked black instead of the usual pink or white for fuss free maintenance. And im too busy playing with it right now to dress her up yet.


the total damage for HB's pocket is $235; its a good deal honestly!

It gotta be the best day of my life so far. Had came home totally smiling from ear to ear hugging the package. Finally, a gadget toy of my own. I can listen to songs with it (wait till i figure it out), play any games out of the 84, and surf the net even. (wow, wee.)
Bought home the usual zichar hor fun, fried mee hoon and a giant sausage from a newly opened western food stall. I have still prefer the ones from IKEA with tons of mustard.
Drowned everything with 2 cans of tiger beers, coz all these deserve a celebration!
And did i mentioned the stuffs i bought from ebay came today as well?
Oh well, there are so many things to do, but so little time!


a vintage floral dress that fits me to a tee; an ultra cute denim jumper dress from cotton on; the Elf blusher i have read so much about!

Thats all for now folks! Its time to play with my new toy!

The lovely HB says he will get me the Twilight Charm Bracelet, as much as he thinks i dun really need another. Considering i just got a Tiffany in Dec.
Well, this should motivate me to complete my TMA01 asap.
( due date is tomorrow! i will finish it tonite! )
U can check out the original copy here.
But im going to get one with a stone / bass finished wolf charm instead!

The poor man didnt sleep well last nite.
Because Stella msged us right after we came home from the wedding dinner - that MIL was having these pain in her knee.
So much so that she couldnt walk by herself.
The man was so worried and spent the whole nite pacing the whole house.
We had wanted to send MIL to the hospital right away. But she was already asleep when we called.
The man woke up awfully early today, right after shower, we met the rest to send her to SGH.
The doc didnt do much help, except for a painkiller jab.
Well, at least she is feeling better, and HB is able to set his heart.
My poor baby...

Anyway as promised, he cooked dinner, washed up everything and made me the queen.
As much as i wish everyday is valentine's, (he making me my creamy milk tea now)
i think once a year is good enough.
The man deserve a good nite sleep later.


the ingredients                                                                                                                     the macaroni was soaked in ice water


the tomato paste sauce                                   the ready-to-eat chicken satay                                                  the proud chef


after the red wine and everything, we were so filled up, there goes my chocolate gelato...

Time to hit my newest read - Stephanie Meyer's Eclipse
Nite peeps, and have a good v day!

Last Wednesday, the tour agency called HB to inform us about the briefing this Sat at 3pm.
Despite the poor economic downturn, we counted at least 30 people attending the briefing for this Europe Trip.
So much so that many couples are also bringing their children along.
The youngster these days are just so lucky!
We are getting all excited when the tour agency passed us the list of hotels we will staying at.

1) Holiday Inn Rome West (Rome)
2) Art Hotel Museo (Rome)
3) Anthony Palace Hotel (Venice)
4) Grauer Baer Hotel (Innsbruck)
5) Hotel Astoria (Lucerne)
6) Nh Weinheim (Weinheim Germany)
7) Dorint Hotel Amsterdam Airport (Amesterdam)
8) Pullman Paris La Defense (Paris)
9) Thistle Charing Cross Hotel (London)
It seems like we are going hotel hopping during our 16 days in Europe! And some of the hotels look so victorian gorgeous! (im a sucker for fab buildings!)

There are also several optional tours we are keen on:
1) Gondola Serenade in Italy
2) Mount Titlis in Switzerland
3) Euro Disneyland in Paris
4) Moulin Rouge in Paris

The person said dress code is strict if we are attending the show, and so i need to remind myself to pack my cocktail dress along.

The HB had wanted to shop around since we were already in town, but i was having this major headache and just wanted to go home. The weather is getting alilttle too humid for my liking these days.
The rest of the afternoon was spent napping, while the man played his CS online.
I felt somewhat better when i woke up at 8pm, just in time for my weekly Jacky Wu's variety shows. After flipping though the books i bought the day before at Popular, i was back in dreamland slightly after midnite, while the man continued watching late nite telly.


Finally got down to get the DIY Yoga book for the holiday.
And yes! Im a multi reader, i always read at least 3 books at one time.

Woke up today bright and early, and miraculously, the headache is gone. Went for a filling breakie with the poor man, who had been complaining about hunger since last nite. (LOL)
As i will be staying at home most of the time this week, the man bought several fruits to cure my greediness.
Next week, we will be shopping for some biscuits and cup noodles for The Trip. Cant wait! Its in another 2 weeks!

 
Im trying to be a healthy freak, minus the chips i strongly encouraged!

I was down with this really nasty flu earlier this week.
All i did when i came home from work was to have dinner, showered and dozed off before 10pm.
It had sort of became a routine for me.
And the man who cannot sleep without his aircon had to endure sleeping with only the fan as i was shivering a fair bit each nite.
There were no jogging for these few days. And I feel FAT.
Felt slightly better on Friday, i wonder whether it was because of the coming weekend...

There was plan to watch "Hancock" after dinner. And we discovered a nearer movie theater than GV Grand.
It was our first time watching a movie at the Kallang Lesiure Park, but the overall experience was satisfactory.
At least the place was clean, and doesnt smell of stale popcorn.

The HB bought me a loaf of Sunshine Raisin bread for breakfast as he needed to go for the NE Show duty again on Sat.
Taken 2 slices and settled myself down to surf the net for the entire afternoon.
It started to pour when i got ready to go meet my parents at Toa Payoh for Sizzlers.
(Yeah i know i had it a few days ago with HB. But I just got my bonus, and wanted to give the folks a treat.)
Was deliberating between driving there or to go public since its raining.
Remembering the medication i had taken awhile ago, and so its bus 155 down the block.
The bus trip took app 30mins, and i had truly enjoyed the entire trip.
Its been sometime since i had taken the bus.
And i found it rather de-stressing to sit in the bus, watching the world goes by, with my ipod stucked in both ears.
My late granny came into my mind when the bus past by the care centre she was staying in before she passed away 10 years ago.
Gosh, time really passes...

Dad and Mum were already there when i reached the place.
We had a great dinner, catching up.
And Mum had great fun experiencing all the different salads Sizzlers offers.
Dad was not so adventurous though, sticking to his garlic scrimps instead.
It was slightly before 7pm when we parted. I wanted to drop by the Popular Bookshop, thus declined Dad's offer to send me home.
Had bought 2 books for their 1-for-1 deal.
"If you could see me now" by Cecelia Ahern and "The curious incident of the dog in the night time" by Mark Haddon.
I had heard so much of  the book by Mark Haddon, and i had read and loved the book "A place called Here" by Cecelia Ahern.
So this is the perfect time to get the books isnt it?
It was when i was about to pay for the books that i realised that i had misplaced my ATM card.
It was strange as i didnt remember using the card this week. Apart from topping up the cashcard on Wednesday.
But i wanted the books! And so paid them by credit.
It a habit im trying to kick now. I dont want to live on credit anymore. Its hightime i start taking charge on my money... 
Called the bank when i realised the ATM card was not at home either. They will send me a replaced card in another few days time.
And meanwhile, they will have my card blocked. Spent the rest of the sat nite watching the telly and reading the book at the same time. Had told HB abt the missing card when he came home at 11.30pm. And he too was puzzled abt its disappearance.

I am feeling better today. Had went for 5 rounds of jog with HB awhile ago.
And its back to Monday blues again before i realise it...

 With the folks away in Bangkok, i bought this book at the airport while sending them off.




On our way home after sending the folks